Wichita eagle., 1887-02-20

were dutchies attached to Denmark Hol-
stein and Lunenburg were purely Gerhap
in nationality and only held by the king
of Denmark as duke of Holstein and Lu-
n .nburg, about the same tenure as the kin z
of England SO long held Hanover The
king Of Denmark sat (as duke of these two
duchies) in the old Germanic diet which
used to hold its meetings in Frankfort,
| this diet was abolished after the Prussian
victory at Sadowa).
| Schleswig was attached more directly to
the clown of Denmark, but by far the ma
jority of the people were German, and for
a long time there had been agitation going
on in Germany about their claims and
rights. One claim was that Schleswig and
Holstein should be united into one admin
istrative system and should be governed in
dependently of Denmark, the Danish king
to he ruler as the king of Austria was of
Hungary. 1t was only natural that great
people should be unwilling to see so many
Germany itself kept under the rule of
Denmark
The tendency of Denmark was the ANAL
gamation Of the duchies into her own state
system, whilst the Germans regarded with
extreme jealousy anything on the part of
Denmark in regard to these duches tam
pering with the language or rights of the
Germans.
Anyone who could look realities in the face
carry their point some day.
Ia November 1868 Fredrick VII, king
Of Denmark, died and was succeeded by
Christian TX. The late king leaving no
direct heir Prince Friedrich of Schleswig-
Holstein Sonderburg- g-Augustenburg claim
ed succession to the Duchies of
Schleswig and Holstein whose claims were
conveniently taken advantage of by the Ger
mans The result was that the Germanic
diet and the Danish king could come to
no terms or arrangements and war became
certain.
Denmark refused to accept the terms
which Germany would have offered and
prepared for war She relied on the help
Of England fir pm what Lord John Russell
aud Lord Palmerston had said Trey had
given the Danish government sound advice
and had urgently recommended them to
leave the Germans and German government
no fair ground of complaint, but they new
er countenanced or encouraged any acts
which tended to the forcible absorption of
the German people into a Danish system;
on the contrary, they had more than once
rebuked the government for neglect or
breach of engagement and pointed out the
consequence of such policy and they
implied that if they the Danes) took this
advice they would not see them
wronged. They had at all events
declared if they did not follow this advice
they need not count on the assistance of
England if they were attacked by Ger
many. Odd they follow this advice?)
When war was declared five sixths of the
English were for drawing the sword in
defense of Denmark, and great was their
when it was found we
were not to interfere.
1t was impossible and absurd for Eng
land to maintain Denmark. To begin with,
I ba ri If oial orronromoptc Nv, NH; ;,I +la,o
duchies were bound to Denmark could not
endure, and twas not controversy which
in any way concerned England, although
England was at one time willing to inter
yeDe by arms if France would join. and
they made this proposal to the French
government but the Emperor Napoleon
refused to interfere
The English kept up active negotiations
on behalf of France, and at last succeeded !
in inducing the belligerents to agree to a
suspension of arms in order that confer !
ence of the great powers might be held |
The deliberations of said conference came |
to nothing. Curiously enough the final
objections came from the Danes.
The English government was quite right |
in not interfering on behalf of Denmark
at the same time they We're not right in Civ
ing the Danes the least reason to believe |
that they would; it would not have been to |
the credit Of any power to have interfered |
with the principles of nationalties
Princess Alexander was not Dane ex-
cept as we might, if we liked, call the en-
peror of Brazil a Brazilian.
Yours respectfully. one Of that glorious
nation, as "a Dane" puts it, of hypocrites,
towards and asses, HARRY RRICE